Coldwell Banker’s big realty moves

Under the direction of Coldwell Banker Vietnam chairman Edward Minh Chi, the full-service real estate consultancy firm operates across all real estate sectors including residential sales and leasing, commercial properties, project consulting, franchising and training.

In early September, Chi and commercial division director Thomas Duong and vice president and sales director Brandon Vuong completed the seven-day Coldwell Banker Master Franchisor Orientation training programme tailored specifically for international ownership groups with Coldwell Banker franchising rights.

The visit to the Coldwell Banker World Headquarters in Parsippany, New Jersey, USA, entailed meetings with the key leadership from Coldwell Banker including Coldwell Banker’s chief executive officer Jim Gillespie, vice president and chief operating officer Budge Huskey and Coldwell Banker Commercial’s president and chief operating officer Fred Schmidt.

“The programme allowed us to see Coldwell Banker’s innovative technology, marketing and business development resources so that we can provide the most comprehensive home-buying and selling programmes to our clients in Vietnam,” said Vuong. “The Coldwell Banker brand has a 104-year legacy that has gained consumer trust around the world. We look forward to continuing to implement Coldwell Banker’s programmes in Vietnam and attract valuable business partners.”

“One of our key growth opportunities as a brand is internationally,” Gillespie said. “However, we understand that successful implementation of the Coldwell Banker brand requires exemplary local management and understanding of market and business conditions. We are very impressed with Coldwell Banker Vietnam and expect it to be highly successful providing consumers with unmatched quality and service in its real estate needs.”

Gillespie, who previously served as the chief operating officer of Coldwell Banker’s parent company Realogy Corp., has over 32 years of real estate experience and has been with the brand since 1976. He was also an influential guiding figure for the United States government in drafting progressive real estate policies and legislation amidst the recent economic downturn.

Since its official inauguration in August, Coldwell Banker Vietnam became the exclusive sales and marketing representatives for two high-end developments, Tricon Towers in the new urban area of Splendora west of Hanoi’s CBD and The Bayview Towers overlooking the UNESCO world heritage site at Halong Bay.

Coldwell Banker Vietnam is also the exclusive marketing and sales agency for the upcoming Song Ngoc Apartments in District 8, Ho Chi Minh City. The Coldwell Banker Vietnam consultancy team has been closely monitoring the local market throughout the design phase of this project with the developer Minh Viet Investment Corporation, and both parties are expecting high demand for the development.

Minh Viet Investment Corporation chief operating officer Danny Nguyen said: “The consulting team at Coldwell Banker Vietnam has been instrumental in ensuring that Song Ngoc Apartments will cater to the current need in Ho Chi Minh City’s market for affordable, mid-range apartments.”

On October 11, the company held the grand opening of their first Mega Office in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Joining the festivities were distinguished local and international guests from the media, boards of directors from renowned real estate development companies, trading floors and financial institutions. Guest speaking at the ceremony was the respectable Le Hoang Chau, chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association.

The office is a combination of a local sales branch at the ground floor of the Rosana Building in District 1 with a corporate head office for southern Vietnam on the first floor. At this head office, activities such as marketing, research, franchising, training, and business development are all centralised for the region.

From December 9-12, Coldwell Banker Vietnam was one of the featured exhibitors at the VietReal Real Estate Expo 2010 held in Ho Chi Minh City at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre (SECC) in District 7. Coldwell Banker Vietnam had a central location at the expo with 72 square metres of show floor showcasing the major pillars of the company’s operations including residential project sales, commercial real estate, Previews international luxury properties as well as Coldwell Banker University. The booth drew over 3,000 visitors over the four days of the event, with nearly 1,000 on the opening day.

VietReal also served as a key networking event for Coldwell Banker Vietnam, providing a unique opportunity to meet with other businesses, investors and home buyers in the market. Events such as VietReal provide everyone in the industry including developers, consultants, agents and buyers a better chance to understand one another and build confidence in the market.

“The real estate market in Vietnam has a lot of potential. However, the market is also very dynamic and changes quickly. Our business development team is critically analysing the market trends so that we can position ourselves as well as our clients and partners for strategic and sustainable growth in the coming years,” said Vuong.